Michael Chong's Thank You Letter to CARP Members
"The Voice of Canada's Seniors Played a Critical Role in Ensuring the Passage of the Reform Act!"

The following is a letter from MP Michael Chong, extending a formal thank you to CARP members and VP Susan Eng for their instrumental support in guiding the passage of Reform Act...Read more

No Place Like Home? A Look Inside Ontarioís Byzantine Home-Care System
One of the best investigative news reports published to date

It seems simple: keep patients at home when you can. Individuals prefer it, and it costs governments less. But home care is an underfunded, complicated system faltering in the face of skyrocketing demand.
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Mounting Costs of Preventable Injury in Canada
The Cost of Injury in Canada report quantifies the staggering cost of preventable injury

On a daily basis, more than 10,000 Canadians are injured from a fall, burn, traffic collision or any other form of unintentional physical harm caused by an accident.
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It may be termed accessible, but is it really barrier free?
Carol In Your Corner

David Reich is a retired architect living in Montreal.
He now contends with post-polio syndrome which, over the past few years, has gradually reduced his ability to walk. He has Ė with his professional knowledge Ė been able to re-design his home, and along the way, made discoveries that are helpful to others facing similar problems.
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Fiction is history seen through the eyes of real people
Carolís Corner

Fiction is an invitation to live those events, albeit from the safety of your own easy chair.
We have a Book Club in our apartment complex. While many book clubs invite professionals to lead the discussion, ours is a ďdo-it-yourselfĒ enterprise, which began some ten years ago.
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Whatís Cooking?
The Middle-Aged Guide to Growing Up

Itís not that I canít cook, I can, very well by comparison with some men my age, but Iím lazy. If it involves precise measurement, timing, greasing and prepping pans and especially baking, Iím not interested.
One of my favourite dishes (and a favourite among those who try it) requires a pot of water and a bowl. Spaghetti (or in my case, Linguine) Carbonara was invented when allied troops were bivouacked with Italian country people during the war. They would give their ration of eggs and bacon to their hosts for breakfast, and were met with blank stares.
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CARP LGBT Poll Report

CARP members identify as being LGBT at about the same rate as the general population and the vast majority know someone who is LGBT, and more than half know someone in a same sex marriage. Most LGBT members are married. Very few know someone who is LGBT and is also in care. Read more

Ottawa seeks public input on voluntary CPP expansion
Consultation timing means no government decision is likely to come before Canadians head to the polls

The federal government is officially launching consultations on Canada Pension Plan reform just weeks before an election campaign that is expected to focus heavily on issues such as savings and taxation.
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CARP responds to Generation Squeeze
More needs to be done to support younger adults and it need not at the expense of older Canadians

The London regionís medical officer of health is asking his board to be Ontarioís first to back a group accused by Canadaís largest seniors advocate of starting an inter-generational war against the elderly.
Dr. Christopher Mackie will ask the health board to back Generation Squeeze, which claims governments spend large amounts to meet the needs of seniors while neglecting adults under age 45.
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It may not look like much, its 300 or so spaces awaiting nothing more than the ghosts of a former hospital, but a local seniorsí group believes the parking lot at the old St. Josephís Health Centre still has some breath left in it. The current lot is conveniently located a stone's throw from two of the area's greatest draws and green spaces. On a nice day it is generally almost at capacity. It seems a shame to spend a fortune to turn it into something else that would likely not benefit residents or visitors as much as leaving it be.
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First seniors expo in Richmond a roaring success
Richmond Chapter

The inaugural Seniors Health And Resource Expo (SHARE) event ó run by the Richmond chapter of seniors group CARP ó was such a hit, that the organizing committee are already planning ahead for the 2016 expo, with a promise of it being even bigger and better.
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Ageing at Home and Everything that Comes With the Decision to Stay Put
CARP Investigates the Mechanics of Home Care Provision, Creates a Home Safety Checklist and Hunts for Helpful & Innovative Assistive Technology

These are all factors that should go into shaping the decisions we make about how and where we grow older. It is an unfortunate reality that we may not be eligible for the amount of publicly funded home care we may have anticipated or may need. This could mean having to pay for care out of pocket and that is also an important consideration. It is better to have a plan and to consider these eventualities before they occur than to be taken by surprise and forced to make rash decisions that may have been avoided with advanced planning. Even for those of us fortunate enough to be mobile, life-changes can often be a fall, an accident or a diagnosis away, be it our own, our spouseís or our parentsí. Read more

1. Do you use any kind of assistive device such as a walker, a cane, a mobility scooter or a motorized wheelchair?

Yes, a cane

Yes, a walker

Yes, a mobility scooter

Yes, a motorized wheelchair

Something else

No

2. Do you know someone else who uses an assistive device?

Yes, a cane

Yes, a walker

Yes, a mobility scooter

Yes, a motorized wheelchair

Something else

No

3. How difficult or easy would it be for frail or mobility challenged seniors to get around in your home?

Very difficult

Somewhat difficult

Somewhat easy

Very easy

DONíT KNOW

4. Falls are a significant, but preventable cause of injuries to mobility challenged or frail seniors. Have you or has anyone you know injured themselves in a fall caused by lack of accessibility or mobility aids in the home?

Yes, me

Yes, spouse

Yes, someone I know

No

5. What is the obstacle to mobility in the home you or those you know encounter the most frequently?

Lack of ramps

Lack of handrails

Doorways/hallways too narrow

Lack of automatic doors

Stairs and steps

Non-accessible shelves/kitchens/stovetops

Non-accessible/small bathrooms

Raised thresholds at entrance door

OTHER/DONíT KNOW

DONíT USE ASSISTIVE DEVICE

6. Do you agree or disagree the residential building codes in your province should require all new homes to be built with universal accessibility and mobility in mind?

Agree strongly

Agree

Disagree

Disagree strongly

DONíT KNOW

7. How have you renovated or retrofitted your home to be more accessible as you age?

Stair lift

Ramp(s)/eliminate steps

Walk-in baths/seated shower

Grab rails

Wider doors

Non-slip surfaces

Moved to an accessible home

Leveled thresholds at entrance door

OTHER

HAVE NOT RETROFITTED HOME

8. Has someone you know renovated or retrofitted their home to be more accessible as they age?

Stair lift

Ramp(s)/eliminate steps

Walk-in baths/seated shower

Grab rails

Wider doors

Non-slip surfaces

Moved to an accessible home

Leveled thresholds at entrance door

OTHER

NO ONE I KNOW HAS RETROFITTED HOME

9. Interactions between drugs can cause unsteadiness, leading to falls. Were you aware of this?

Yes

No

10. Are you, or is anyone you know prone to falls?

Yes, me

Yes, spouse

Yes, friend or family

Yes, someone I know

No

11. Are you, or is anyone you know prone to falls due to drug interactions?

Yes, me

Yes, spouse

Yes, friend or family

Yes, someone I know

No

12. Exercise is a good way to maintain mobility and prevent falls. Do you approach exercise with this goal in mind?

Yes

No

DONíT KNOW

13. Living alone increases the incidence of falls and accidents. Do you live alone or not?

Yes, I live alone

No, I live with other(s)

14. What is the one best way to prevent falls in the home?

No carpets or area rugs

Use assistive device (walker, scooter) Stair lift

Ramp(s)/eliminate steps/level thresholds at entrance door

Walk-in baths/seated shower

Grab rails

Wider doors

Non-slip surfaces

OTHER

DONíT KNOW

15. In the event of an emergency, how easy would it be for a mobility challenged or frail senior leave your home quickly?

Very easy

Somewhat easy

Not very easy

Not at all easy

DONíT KNOW

16. In the next section, we ask questions that would be asked by a person with restricted mobility. Please answer as if you used a wheelchair or walker or were prone to falling. Do you live on one floor or on two or more floors?

One floor

Two or more floors

17. Do you have an alternative escape route from upper floors besides the stairs, in case of fire?

Yes

No

LIVE ON ONE FLOOR ONLY

18. If you live on more than one floor, is there a bedroom and a bathroom on the main floor?

Yes

No

LIVE ON ONE FLOOR ONLY

19. Do you have grab bars near the toilet in the bathroom of your home?

Yes

No

20. Do you have a walk-in shower or tub?

Yes

No

21. Is there room to use the sink in your bathroom from a wheelchair?

Yes

No

22. A wheelchair requires a turning radius of five feet. Do you have this much space in your home in hallways, washrooms and entrances?

Yes

No

23. Do you have an emergency alert system or panic button in case you fall and canít reach the phone?

Yes

No

24. If you or a member of your family experienced mobility challenges, would you be more likely to move to a more accessible home or to retrofit your own home to be more accessible?

Move

Retrofit

Have already moved to more accessible home

Have already retrofitted home

DONíT KNOW

25. Are you more likely to wait until a mobility crisis occurs before moving or retrofitting your home, or are you more likely to proactively plan for mobility challenges in advance?

Wait until crisis occurs

Plan proactively

Have moved/retrofitted already

DONíT KNOW

26. What is the one biggest factor you would take into consideration in deciding to retrofit your home?

Cost of renos

Disruption to daily life

Effect on resale value of home

Availability of tax credit towards renos

Something else

DONíT KNOW

27. Do you agree or disagree universal accessibility can be built into all housing in such manner as to enhance resale value rather than detract from it?

Agree strongly

Agree

Disagree

Disagree strongly

DONíT KNOW

28. Do you agree or disagree you could recoup the investment made in retrofitting your home for accessibility when you sell it?

Agree strongly

Agree

Disagree

Disagree strongly

DONíT KNOW

29. What is the one biggest factor you would take into consideration in deciding to move to accessible home?

Cost of real estate

Disruption of moving

Moving away from neighborhood/friends

30. If a federal election were held tomorrow, which partyís candidate would you support?

Conservative

Liberal

NDP

Green Party

Bloc Quebecois

OTHER

UNDECIDED

31. If a federal election were held tomorrow, which party would you expect to win?